Schiller - I miss you

 FAB-ulous!!!

30th Year Class of '85 Reunion

On 21 August 2015 we had our 30 year Class of 1985 reunion. At first I was in two minds on whether I should go or not. I said to Eva (Eva and I have been friends since we were 7 years old) that I probably would not remember or recognise anyone. I was also not one of the “clique”. I basically kept to myself at school. I attended school, as much as I hated it, I of course had no choice but to attend. I played Hockey at school and was Sergeant of the Drill team. Eva eventually twisted my arm and so I went. I can now honestly say that I am glad I went. I think I would have regretted it terribly had I not gone. It was a really awesome day and night! We had to be at the school by 08:00am. We met at the Boys’ residence/hostel for tea. It was so exciting to watch as class mates arrived and then you look and see whether you can remember their name. In the end we all could actually recognise one another quite easily. I am struck by how little everyone has changed. We've all grown up, have a few grey hairs and even some smile/laughter lines, but we're still the same amazing group of people. We had a presentation by the Principal and then an assembly with current students at the school. Our Head Boy of 1985 was requested to give a speech. We then had a tour of the school and it was really super taking a stroll down memory lane. Not very many changes have been made to the school which originated in 1903. We were at the school until 12:30 and from there made our way to the Cradle Stone Shopping Mall where we had a table booked at Doppio Zero. Oh boy, and this is where the fun really began. It was an absolute hoot. Catching up on the crazy things that we did at school. The funny things that happened. And the drinks flowed and flowed. Eventually the 60 strong crowd of classmates started getting less as most left by the late afternoon so by early evening there were about 20 of us left…and the drinks still carried on flowing!! Wow! I do not think I have ever had that much to drink EVER! By the time Eva and I left it was 11:30. I say nothing about my head this morning. Hahaha. What makes this reunion even more special is that even though it was our 30^th year reunion, the majority of classmates have been a part of my life for even longer than that as most of us started school together when we were 6 years old. It really was a very special day and night…another memory to treasure!

From left : Terri, Perla, Shelley, Jo Anne, Mark, Me, Warren, Craig and Marina Kourie.

From left: Jean, George, Eva, Brad and me.

My Girls!! Jo Anne, Nadine, Lynda, Marina, Perla, me and Eva. (Eva, Nadine and Marina and I have been friends since we were 7 years old).

Partying hard!!!! From drinks to shooters!

Oh what a night! Hahahaha

Juanita du Plessis - Engel Van My Hart (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO)

Juanita du Plessis is my all time favourite Afrikaans singer. The translation of the title is "Angel of my Heart". For those overseas who read my Blog - Afrikaans is the second language here in South Africa. It is very similar to the Dutch spoken in the Netherlands.

Where I Live, Shop And Surrounds

Many of you probably wonder about South Africa and particularly where I live. So, I decided to film some things for you as to where I shop and film some surroundings. Please note I am not a professional at filming. My video clips are very amateur - lol. But, I hope you enjoy them. I did not film the interior of the shopping centres as I did not feel comfortable doing so however, I have elaborated on what can be found at the centres.

Cedar Square Shopping Centre

This shopping centre has close to 70 stores across a range of categories. It is just up the road from my home so I basically buy the bare necessities here like milk and bread. It does however have quite a big range of shops/stores like an Art Gallery, Clicks, Cell phone stores like MTN, Virgin Mobile. Clothing stores like Nicci Boutique, Sempre, Simoni Exclusive, to mention a few. There is a Woolworths Food store and a liquor store, some restaurants like Ciao Baby Cucina, Co.fi, Cubana Latina Cafe, Kauai, Yamazaki Sushi Restaurant, Ocean Basket and Papa Pronto's - my favourite for take out. There is also a movie house. Just to mention a few shops/stores.

Cedar Square Shopping Centre

Design Quarter

For lovers of decor, Design Quarter provides an incredible opportunity for support, advice and one-on-one service from some of South Africa’s most admired decorators and retail outlets. This is where you can feel inspired by the latest trends, styles and design ideas and a magnificent open air plaza where you can relax in a continental environment. Restaurants range from the small and intimate old style tea shop to casual breakfasts, business lunches and elegant dining. To name a few - the Kitchen Bar is indeed supremely versatile in its dining appeal. Mythos captures the idyllic simplicity of the Greek Islands. So much so, that one almost feels inspired to visit the beautiful isles. The restaurant fuses decor and ambiance into contemporary Greek elegance. The result is a truly vibrant, refined and friendly eatery. The food is however the main attraction and then ofcourse there is Primi. It’s a good place for the family and even better for fun get-togethers. Primi caters for the seasoned traveller without forgetting the more conservative customer or the limits of your pocket. Set among timeless minimalist architecture, it’s not just the location that’s impressive but also the special ambience that attracts a creative hub of admen, artists, fusionists and designers.

Driving Home Down William Nicol Drive

I mentioned in the video above the road William Nicol. In the video below I am driving back to Fourways down William Nicol Drive. I mention Monte Casino in this video. 

This is Monte Casino

Generally if I am going to eat out or just meet friends we meet at Monte Casino. There is just so much to do there. Movies, Theatre and a lot of coffee shops and restaurants and bars and ofcourse the actual Casino. I sometimes go there just on my own and just sit and do some people watching. There are so many tourists that visit Monte Casino as well.

Driving to my Home Sweet Home

On the way home I pass Fourways Mall on my right. This is where I do my monthly shopping. I shop at Checkers Hyper. They are so much cheaper than Pick n Pay and also have more variety than Pick n Pay and most products offer 100% value for money. For example the Muesli I buy - I can get a 1,5kg packet of Muesli at the Hyper for R39.99 whereas at Pick n Pay I would only get 1kg for R52.99. I also do my clothes shopping here at the Mall, either at Mr Price, Jet, Edgars, Woolworths, Truworths or Ackermans.

Fourways Mall

My Home Sweet Home is in a security complex. I live in a townhouse. It is a 3x bedroom 2x bathroom unit with a single garage and a small garden. The kitchen is separate from my open plan lounge and dining room. On my blog here there is a video clip of my back garden in the post named Sunday Relaxation.

In this video I comment about the Wheelie bin where I found some socks. For those that do not follow me on FB I will enlighten you to the mystery. A while back I opened my handbag to check if my purse was inside. I do this out of habit every time I go shop. Now I do not have anything else in my handbag except my purse. On this day I notice there is something else in my handbag, so I reach in and pull out a pair of black socks. My socks! For the life of me to this day I have no idea how they got into my handbag. Anyway, about three weeks later I am about to throw my rubbish bag into the wheelie bin but as I do I glance inside, and blow me down with a feather - there lies a pair of socks!! So out of curiosity I reach in and pull them out. They are not mine! I have no idea how they got there or who put them there. The bigger question is - why would someone throw their socks in my bin? Each unit has their own wheelie bin and its not like we all live on top of each other. So the mystery remains unsolved lol.

 

Fall In Love With A Heart And Soul

Everyone You Meet

I love being with real people that like to have fun and be happy. When I’m around people that are always down it just brings me down and I DON’T like that. I was born to love, laugh, and enjoy the people around me. It’s all good, like I say - Don’t worry, be happy. 

Lightning Crashes

One song....a thousand memories....